Moncrieff

Language necessarily evolves to accommodate new ideas, new concepts and new cultural paradigms. But, what happens when a word exists in one language, but not another? There are lots of so-called ‘untranslatable’ words in English, and some Irish ones have been added to the latest version of the Oxford English Dictionary. Fiona McPherson is Senior Editor at the Oxford English Dictionary and joins Se...

“Bang on the drum 71, clickety click 66.” For listeners of a certain age, these phrases will immediately conjure up images of the old bingo hall. But, perhaps some younger members of the audience have also heard them recently, because bingo is making a comeback among Gen Z, apparently. Cassie Delaney is a Podcaster and a weekly bingo player. She joins Seán to discuss.

The messaging app at the centre of the communications crisis in the White House is called Signal. But, how secure is it, how does its technology work, and should it be used for handling classified information? Joining Seán to discuss is Elaine Burke, Host of the For Tech’s Sake podcast…

Do new parents need more support? Well, have you ever heard of a doula? Doulas provide care and help to new mothers navigating the challenges of parenthood in the early days from birth to post-partum. Roberta Hynes works in Dublin and she’s helped an estimated 200 families. She joins Seán to discuss.

While hair transplant services are well known, beard transplants are now on the rise too. But, how do they work, and should we be wary? Joining Seán to discuss is Spencer Stephenson, a Patient Advocate in the hair transplant industry…

With Amy Huberman becoming the latest celebrity to put a wine with her name on the shelves, she joins a long line of others such as Graham Norton, Kylie Minogue and Cliff Richard… But, what exactly is the business model here, and are celebrity wines actually any good? Joining Seán to discuss is Michelle Lawlor, from the Nude Wine Company. Image: Amy Huberman

A group of tobacco companies has been compelled by the EU to provide funding for the clean-up of cigarette butts on Irish streets, due to the presence of plastic in the filters. The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System has described cigarette butts as “the biggest litter scourge” facing the State. So, why are smokers throwing their butts on the ground? Joining Seán to discuss is Simon Clark...

Are you sick of being asked to rate your experience? Whether it’s a taxi ride, a toilet stop or even a supermarket trip... it seems that companies are obsessed with asking us for feedback. So, are these customer surveys of any use, or are we all just fed up and suffering from feedback fatigue? Financial Times Columnist, Pilita Clark, joins Seán to discuss.

It’s official: caviar is back on menus, but this time, customers are being offered so-called ‘caviar bumps’ - little taster servings on the back of their hands... Niall Sabongi from The Seafood Cafe in Temple Bar joins Seán to talk about this novel food trend.

Do all your savings go to your children? A new report from the Central Bank has revealed that people are saving more, but they are also putting money away for the next generation, with one in three Irish parents saving for their children rather than their own future… For more on this, Sean is joined by Money Coach Kel Galavan.

Ever get the feeling your relationship is on its last legs? Science says there’s a ‘point of no return’ - a moment when it’s pretty much doomed... Joining Seán to dive into the details is expert Roe McDermott, Sexuality Studies Scholar and Columnist for the Irish Times.

To the best of our scientific knowledge, 70% of our universe is made up of a mysterious force we call ‘Dark Energy’. Since its discovery in the 1990s, it has been assumed that this accelerating force would continue to expand the universe until everything was so far apart that the whole thing would come to a very cold, and very quiet end. However, new findings have called all of that into question....

What was the best gig you were ever at?  There have been many iconic gigs on Irish soil, but a new podcast focuses on three in particular that have attained legendary status. Dylan Murphy is the Host of the ‘I Was There’ podcast, and joins Seán to discuss. Image: Ed Sirrs / Camera Press

With homeless figures reaching record highs – the latest statistics revealing that 15,286 individuals are homeless, including 4,603 children… Proposals to further regulate street food kitchens including soup runs have been hit with criticism from the charity sector. The Muslim Sisters of Éire do a weekly soup kitchen at the GPO every Friday evening, feeding up to 675 people – three times as many a...

According to a new finding from the 2025 World Happiness Report, 1 in 4 Americans are eating alone the vast majority of the time. But, how does that compare to here in Ireland? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he’s heard.

Seán’s guest always wanted to be a dad but, being a single man, it took him a while to pluck up the courage to investigate the possibility of becoming a foster carer. Now, he is sharing his journey and has been writing about it in GCN magazine. The foster dad (who will remain anonymous) joins to discuss…

Do you have a drawer in your house containing old mobile phones, maybe a Walkman or a Nokia 3210 from eons ago? Before you ditch them, consider whether or not they might actually have some value… Ciara O’Brien, Tech Correspondent for the Irish Times, has been writing about this, and joins Seán to discuss.

Over the past 14 years, a set of two specialised aircraft have been slowly charting every piece of land in Ireland in order to build a highly detailed geophysical map of the country. There are just two counties left to complete the picture. Joining Seán to discuss is Jim Hodgson, Senior Geologist and Tellus Project Manager…

A parenting idea that is currently trending is called the ‘Let Them’ theory, in which parents essentially refrain from intervening and allow their kids to make mistakes. But, how does it all work? Kirsty Blake Knox, Columnist with the Irish Independent, has been trying it out, and joins Seán to discuss.

From U2 to Johnny Cash, we all know how much talent is required to get an album to number one. But, would these artists have been as successful if it wasn’t for the labour and skill of their Managers? So, what makes a successful Manager? Joining Seán to discuss is Michael Mary Murphy, Author of ‘Pop Music Management: Lessons from the Managers of Number One Albums’...

According to a new poll in the UK, men can multitask as much as women! This shocking revelation has left one question standing: is this really true? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

The blobfish, once labeled the world’s ugliest animal, has now been named Fish of the Year in New Zealand. Joining Seán to discuss why is Konrad Kurta, Spokesperson from the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust… Image: Australian Museum

Most treatment for mental illness is delivered on a voluntary basis in the community in Ireland, but a small portion of people are detained under an “involuntary admission”. But, under the Mental Health Bill 2024, which is currently in a committee stage, the ways in which this is being done could be significantly altered. Brendan Kelly is Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, and has...

After 5 years, Artist Dorothy Cross has completed her ambition to repatriate a mummified body from Ireland to Egypt. But, how did it all begin? Dorothy Cross, Artist and Producer of the ‘Kinship: Home’ project joins Seán to discuss. Image: Dorothy Cross

Just after the lockdown in 2021, Ciaran Gaffney told his friends that he’d like to hold a storytelling event with friends and family. The event was unexpectedly a great success but what was more unexpected was that later events were so popular, that within 2 years, Ciaran was quitting his job to run these now international events full time. Ciaran Gaffney is the Founder of Seanchoíche and joins Se...